External air automobile heater



May 4, 1937.

H. B. MUMMERT 2,079,381

EXTERNAL AIR AUTOMOBILE HEATER Filed March 25, 1935 I IZII WM 6? WNVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented May 4, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT on-1c Harold B. Mummert, Valparaiso, Ind.

Application March 25, 1935, Serial No. 12,973

10 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in external air automobile heater and it more especially relates to the features in the annexed claims.

The purpose of my invention is to-provide for the intake of external air to an automobile or other vehicle and to warm the air without having recourse to the conventional type of heaters in which dependence is placed on the heat of the engine exhaust or on the heat of the water in the radiator when it is led to a separate small radiator associated with a-fan placed on the inside of the car. This invention utilizes a portion of the hot radiator area over which on the inside a "funnel" is placed and from it a tube leads to the inside of the car; that also provides means for selectively covering the front. of the radiator, which may be on the grille positioned in front of the radiator proper so as to admit more or less air through the grille to serve the double purpose of using a portion of the upper portion of the radiator for supplying air in a heated state to the inside'of the car and the portion of theradiator at the same time to cool the circulating water in the engine block thus cooperain the accompanying drawing such instances of adaptation as will disclose the broad underlying features of the invention without limiting my- 5 self to the specific detail shown thereon and de-- scribed herein.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation showing the relation of the radiator and the heated air tube leading to the inside of the car. 40 Fig. 2 is a side elevation from the opposite side of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an elevation looking toward the inside of the radiator showing the position of the funnel, the air tube and the relation of the cool- 45 ing fan and its path through an opening formed in the funnel.

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of one form of a grille cover, the lower portion of the two sections being adjustable in difierent positions to admit 50 more or less air to the bottom of the radiator.

Fig. 5 is a detached view of the lower portion of the grille cover.

Fig. 6 is an inside elevation of a closure to an opening formed in the upper half of the grille .55 cover and in approximate line with the funnel.

Fig. '7 is a plan view in section showing one 'way for securing the fastening buttons to the grille. Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic side elevation of a horizontal partition for dividing the area or front of the radiator into two compartments. 5

Fig. 9 shows a modified form of cover with two'sliding portions to control the admission of air to the upper and lower areas of the radiator.

In adapting my invention to serve various needs I may employ whatever alternatives or 10 equivalents of construction that the exigencies of varying conditions may require without departing from the broad spirit of the invention.

With the expedients that have been used heretofore for Cheating automobiles or other closed 15 vehicles dependence has been placed upon means for simply warming the air that is already within the car. My invention departs from this practice in that external air is heated without contact with engine odors and it is directed to the 20 inside of the car where it builds up an internal pressure even though slight that overcomes all tendency to drafts and at the same time prevents the formation of condensation on the inside of the windows, windshield, etc. 25

The new type of heater which I have devised, and proved out in actual use, has many advantages over the types described above and its principles of operation are a distinct departure from prior practice.

With my system the air to be heated comes from the outside, in front of the radiator i, by passing through the radiator, that is, a portion of the upper area of the radiator, where it is heated. The selected portion of the radiator, which is utilized for heating purposes, is enclosed by an air box 'or funnel 1, in which there is a side opening 26, through which the blades of the regular cooling fan 21, pass. The movement of the air is facilitated by the rotation of 40 the fan and the progress of the car. From the funnel or air-box, 1, a pipe or tube 8, leads to an opening in the dash 5 of the car where any desired means 9, may be used to regulate the size of the outlet or the deflection of the air.

It is desirable that the temperature of the water or anti-freeze mixture at the top of the radiator must be quite hot, but not hot enough to cause boiling and dependence should not be placed 'upon a water line thermostat, because when it is so in action it will stop the circulation and prevents or at any event retards an increase of the hot water in the radiator. I secure the necessary control by covering or partially covering the openings of the radiator l or grille 2, thereby reducing the volume of air flow therethrough. This overcomes the shortcoming of a water line thermostat and it causes my heater to function efliciently and at the same time the engine performance is more satisfactory because the operating temperature is kept reasonably near to its most efiicient working point.

It is also desirable that the velocity of the air flowing through the section of the radiator l,

opposite the funnel T, be controlled. The reason for this is that if uncontrolled, very cold air passing through the radiator at a high velocity is only slightly warmed, not sumciently high to be of value in heating the inside of the car. I have found that air at very much lower temperatures is sufiiciently warmed, if its velocity is properly controlled or reduced. This is accomplished by the use of an attachable and detachable cover N), which is positioned in front of and attached to the radiator I, or the grille 2, as shown. Therefore I have devised a sectional cover which will satisfy the above conditions and will insure my heater working at its highest efficiency.

The upper portion IU, of the cover will remain more or less closed through the use of a small booster opening closed by a closure l6 directly in front of the funnel I, located behind the radiator. The lower portion H, of the cover may be left open or closed to control the admission of the required volume of air necessary for properly cooling the engine, 5. Thus the region where most of the cooling takes place, is shifted from the top of the radiator as is common with conventional covers to the bottom so as to maintain the top portion always hot.

The shield or covers Ill, ll, 2| and 22 may be built in several different forms to suit .diiferent designs of grille fronts or different shapes of radiators when grilles are not used. If made in one piece a separate controlled opening (not shown) may be made near the'bottom of the cover, or the cover may be made-in two pieces, l and H, the lower portion ll being adjustable vertically so as to uncover v a larger or smaller portion of the grille. A small booster opening having a closure l6 may be formed, as stated, in the upper portion ID of the cover. Turn button fasteners l3, as described in my co-pending application Serial No. 728,297, filed May31, l934lmay beused to removably hold a single cover or two separate covers in place on the grille. The lower portion ll of a two-part cover may have a series of spaced eyelets l2, which'pass over turn buttons l3 that are 'secured .to the grille bars {4 by plates l5 and suitable screws. The cover maybe made of fabric or top material, with or without a rigid metal A frame, of metal, of fiber or bakelite, 'of transparent material, or any other substance possessing sufiicient rigidity and durability to withstand the exposure of severe weather conditions. Whatever openings are formed in the top or bottom portion of the cover they may be operated from inside of the car by any suitable cooperating means I1, 24 and 25.

An interesting phase of operation of my heater is that the motor fan 21 does not blow the air straight back from theradiator but to a degree blows italso in the direction the fan is moving. In some cases'this action serves to rotate the air as much as 90 degrees. In other words, instead of the hot airzone including the entire top portion of the radiator adjacent the upper path of rotation of the fan and the cold air zone at the aorassi the radiator and depend some distance down from its top in the direction of the rotation of the fan.

With my radiator it is not necessary under any circumstances to provide additional air by opening windows or the windshield. There are no electrical connections, consequently there is no drain on the battery. There are no hose connections other than 6 from the radiator to the engine and the cooling system is left intact. Drafts around the doors on the floor and at all openings, however small, are practically eliminated, due to the building up. of considerable pressure inside the car body.

' It is obvious that this type of heater can be built to practically fit any water-cooled vehicle on the market and the principles used are easily applicable to any car or vehicle regardless of chassis, design and' motor and radiator arrangement. It is easily installed by simply clamping the funnel I to the inside of the radiator I and cutting an opening in the dash 4 for the tube 8, through which the heated air is to pass into the car. Any desired type of control such as cables 81, 2% and 25 or rods, etc., for operating and controlling the admission of air through the grille covers, as stated above, may be installed to perform these operations from within the car and as stated a separate control 9 on the inside of the car may be provided to deflect the incoming air in any direction or close it off entirely as desired.

It is important that the top and bottom areas of the radiator I be separated, either by the expedient shown in Figs. 4 and 5 inclusive wherein tive shownin Fig. 9 may be used to selectively sectionalize the area in front of the radiator by an upper cover 2|. In this instance the adjustable lower cover 23 may be raised or lowered by an upper and a lower cable 24., joined on the inside of the car in any suitable manner, not shown.

The proportionate exposure of the lower front area of the radiator to a portion of the upper covered area can 'be varied at will tosuit the weather conditions and the comfort of the passengers. Contrary to ordinary radiator practices I have found it advantageous to concentrate the heatingportion of the radiator to a major portion of its upper area and use the extreme bottom or lower portion of its effective area for engine cooling purposes.

My system will cooperate with the ordinary water and air engine cooling to retain the working temperature at its most efficient point. The usual hood 3 covers the engine and a bell crank l8 on the dash 4 may be used to operate the cable I! in opposition to the spring l9 attached to the closure I6.

What I claim is:-- I

1. An air heater for automobiles, comprising an engine, a cooling radiator, acar body, a funnel placed adjacent the inner face of the radiator,

aoraser segregating the highest temperature portion of the radiator at its top and at one side thereof, means passing all the air through such portion of the radiator in one direction and delivering it to the inside of the car, means segregating the lowest temperature portion of the radiator, and means utilizing such area of the radiator to maintain the engine working at its most efllcient temperature.

2. In combination with an internal combustion engine its cooling system and cooperating radiator, a funnel placed adjacent the inner face of the radiator isolating a portion including the hottest and extreme upper part of the radiator at one side thereof, a tube leading from the funnel to the inside of a car, and means controlling the admission of air to'the radiator and into the funnel opposite the tube whereby approximately all the air passing through the radiator and into the casing in one direction will become heated and delivered therefrom.

3. An air heater for automobiles or other vehicles having for a source of power an internal combustion engine, a cooling system and a radiator, in combination with a funnel casing placed adjacent the inner face of the radiator collecting heated air coming through the hottest upper corner of the radiator at one side thereof, means delivering all the air so collected from the outside to the inside of a car and distributing it in any desired manner, a cooling fan forming a part of the engine equipment, and means for increasing the flow of air into the car through the action of the fan on the air stream by its movements in a slot of the funnel casing in cooperation with the traverse of the car through space.

4. In combination with a cooled internal combustion engine including a cooperating radiator, a'casing simulating a funnel placed adjacent the inner face of the radiator isolating the hotter portion of the radiator, means controlling the passage of air in one direction through such portion of the radiator, means delivering and distributing approximately all such air within the car as desired, attachable and detachable covers placed infront of the radiator said covers being provided with means for increasing or decreasing the extent of the area of the radiator covered thereby, and means controlling the flow of air through the selected area to the radiator.

5. An automobile radiator or grille cover, means attaching and detachingthe cover in its entirety, means controlling the passage of air through openings selectively formed in the cover, a car body, an engine, a cooling system comprising a radiator, a funnel placed adjacent the inner face of the radiator at its hottest upper portion at one sidethereof receiving air passing through the cover opening and the radiator, means for delivering approximately all such air to the inside of the car, and means variably controlling the size of the opening in the cover from within the car.

' 6. A radiator, a fuhnel positioned adjacent the inside of the radiator segregating the hottest portion of its .width at the top thereof, a tube leading from the funnel, and a circulating fan rotatable within a slot of the funnel and transversely of the tube leading therefrom.

7. In combination with a movable vehicle, having an engine cooling system comprising a water circulating radiator, a grille in front of and spaced apart from the radiator, a fan for accelerating the passage of air through a restricted area of the grille and the radiator, an open front funnel enclosing only a portion of the fan and the inside radiator surface at the hottest portion of the top and at one side thereof, a duct leading from the funnel past the engine and terminating within the vehicle, a control at the exit end of the duct for delivering warmed air to the interior of the vehicle, a cover on the outside of the grille having an opening opposite the funnel and a separate opening at the bottom portion of the grille opposite the cooler area of the radiator, and adjustable means for uncovering and closing the openings independently of each other.

8.An air heater for automobiles comprising an engine cooling radiator, a cooperating fan, a slotted air collecting funnel positioned on the inside of the radiator and only covering a por tion of the top at the hottest portion and at one side of the radiator, a duct from the funnel to the inside of the automobile, means distributing the warmed air as desired, a grille positioned in front of and spaced apart from the radiator, a grille cover formed in two separate sections the upper section having a coverable air opening at the top and to one side of the radiator opposite the funnel, and a lower section having an opening the cover of which is movable from the bottom upward to expose variable areas of the cold portion of the radiator. v

, 9. An air heater for automobiles including an engine cooling radiator, a cooperating fan, a slotted air collecting casing covering only ,a portion of one side of the radiator at its hottest top portion on its inner face, means conducting substantially all the air from the casing to the inside of the automobile, means distributing the warmed air as desired, means isolating a portion of the upper portion of the radiator and separately its lower portion, means for admitting outside air through the isolated portion at one upper corner only, and means admitting a variable volume of air to the isolated lower portion at the bottom of the radiator.

10. In combination with a vehicle having an internal combustion engine, a heat radiator, a cooling fan, means separately isolating the hotter and cooler portions of the radiator at one upper corner, a grille in front of and spaced apart from the radiator, a cover on the grille having selectively positioned openings therein definitely controlling the passage of air through all portions of the radiator and adjacent the fan, a funnel placed adjacent the inner face of the radiator collecting all the warmed air passing through the radiator at its hottest top corner in one direction, and means conducting substantially all such air to the inside of the vehicle for distribution therein as desired.

HAROLD B. MUMMERT. 

